Lesson plan
Ibbur
Ibbur ( ), is one of the forms of transmigration of the soul and has similarities with gilgul neshamot "reincarnation of souls" in Rabbinic Judaism. ʿIbbur is the most positive form of possession and the most complicated. In contrast, possession by a dybbuk ( ) is highly adverse and requires exorcism. It happens when a righteous soul decides to occupy a living person's body for a time, and joins, or spiritually "impregnates" the existing soul. ʿIbbur is always temporary; the possessed person may not know it has occurred. An ʿibbur is often believed to require consent from the possessed. The reason for an ʿibbur is always benevolent—the departed soul wishes to complete an important task, to fulfil a promise, or to perform a mitzvah (a religious duty) that can only be accomplished in the flesh. In Lurianic Kabbalah, ʿibbur occurs when an incomplete soul that cannot achieve tiqqun ("rectification") is completed by the addition of the soul of a tzadik "saint". Luria believed this to be possible even if the possessor were still alive.
Article summary
Ibbur ( ), is one of the forms of transmigration of the soul and has similarities with gilgul neshamot "reincarnation of souls" in Rabbinic Judaism. ʿIbbur is the most positive form of possession and the most complicated. In contrast, possession by a dybbuk ( ) is highly adverse and requires exorcism. It happens when a righteous soul decides to occupy a living person's body for a time, and joins, or spiritually "impregnates" the existing soul. ʿIbbur is always temporary; the possessed person may not know it has occurred. An ʿibbur is often believed to require consent from the possessed. The reason for an ʿibbur is always benevolent—the departed soul wishes to complete an important task, to fulfil a promise, or to perform a mitzvah (a religious duty) that can only be accomplished in the flesh. In Lurianic Kabbalah, ʿibbur occurs when an incomplete soul that cannot achieve tiqqun ("rectification") is completed by the addition of the soul of a tzadik "saint". Luria believed this to be possible even if the possessor were still alive.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.